Will there be new training?

Will firemen recieve new training and equipment due to the tragic events of 9-11? As the nation's first response to terrorism, will the firefighters have to change and make adjustments much like the airports and airliners? What might these changes or training be?

I don't know, but I bet it gets a lot more looks in the future. Too many good men and women died doing thier duty for the government and local officials to ignore. Also, the words of the IAFF spokesman I saw interviewed (not going to quote because I'll hack it to death), but the jist of it being the first in line for budget cuts and the last to complain.

I'm not sure how you could possibly train for someone crashing Jet Liners into structures. I'm sure there will be new training materails and classes in the aftermath of this Tragity. There is only some much you can do. It's hard to say what a terroist wether it be a single person or group of people will do to wreak havock on society for there cause. No one could have planned for such an incident let alone be prepared for it. I'm sure NFPA, FEMA and other orginazations will be reviewing what has happened and how things were handled and make recomendations acordigly.

I've been very saddened by what has happened to the F.D.N.Y. and over the past few days some of that sadness has turned to anger.

I'm sure we've all read stories over the past fews years which have described the government's effort to fund, train and equip "anti-terrorist" personnel in the United States. Where has the bulk of the funding gone? Mostly to the FBI, ATF and the National Guard. This is in spite of the pleading by FIRE, EMS and local POLICE agencies that it is those very agencies who would provide the initial response to any terrorist activity. Now I don't want to belittle the FBI, ATF or the National Guard, but which agency suffered the most at the World Trade Center attack. The F.D.N.Y. of course and, unfortunately, that proves it is the fire departments and the firefighters who will be the "first in" at these events and who will suffer the most losses.
When did the first FBI or ATF agent arrive on scene?
When did the first National Guard unit get there?
When did the first F.D.N.Y. unit arrive on location?

Come on Washington, it's about time you recognized the true role of firefighters and included us in your funding, training and planning. We've proven "we get there first (because we are usually called first)and we give the most.

Catch is right when he refers to the IAFF remark "First in line for budget cuts and last to complain". It is indeed something that has been thrust upon us. Whenever an administration (city, state or federal) wants to save money, whose budget gets cut? And whenever our budgets get cut, do we complain?

We should never forget the sacrifices that were made in New York on 9/11/01. Would increased funding or more training have saved our brothers and sisters? I honestly don't know, but maybe it may have given some of them a fighting chance.

I'm not sure how you could possibly train for someone crashing Jet Liners into structures.
Much the same way we can train for a Hurricane, Tornadoe, etc -- which is we don't know what we might face, but we can respond in an *organized* fashion.

(Yes, for those of you who didn't get it, that was a dig at all the lemmings who went rushing in without officially being called, who went hunting around for a security check post insecure enough to let them through, who instead of going through the State & Federal chains of command called around to find individual firehouses or precints who told them "Sure, come on down!" etc, etc.)

I'm sure there will be new training materails and classes in the aftermath of No one could have planned for such an incident let alone be prepared for it.

A lot of what needs to be done is simple and cheap -- getting large-area mutual plans dusted off and up to date.

Some areas need specific capabilities we don't have now. Connecticut has no meaningful US&R Capabilities -- and that's something we need to work on on a state-level so we can field at least one full team for incidents in and around Connecticut. Yep, that's gonna cost some money (probably $3-5 million done right...but most of that is capital equipment with 10, 15, 20 year lifetimes). But it's something we need and can afford, so it's time to push the legislature and Governor to fund it.

No, nothing can ever prepare you for a World Trade Center collapse. But done right, we can build on what we do day in, day out and keep scaling it up to the incident at hand.

Hey Fudge, in your letter to the Editor, make sure you bring up the point that Fire Departments all over this Country where asking for Our fair share of funding in the FIRE ACT Grants. Much of this money would enable Our Brothers and Sisters everywhere to be better equipped to handle the unforseen attacks that we now know these bas***ds are capable of. Didn't we ask for 5 years of funding for 5 Billion Dollars and get 1 year of 100 Million? I know, like someone else pointed out, we will never be able to train for a WTC style collaspe, but we can at least get the necessary training on how to maybe recognize a potential hazard and at least have the equippment to at least try to protect ourselves and our citizens. As we have seen in the photo's we will be sacrificing a lot of equipment and resources to these attacks. I see that the IAFC is now calling for an additional 75,000 personel to be hired in light of what has just happened. With all the worries about the 1710 and 2 in 2 out laws that our City leaders are fretting over maybe this will help to pry open their eyes to better understand what we have been telling them for so many years. Beats having to say "I told you so."